BROADSTONE THIRDS 198-7 (8pts) lost to ABBOTSBURY 199-7 (18pts) by three wickets.

ABBOTSBURY extended their sequence of wins to seven in a closely-fought contest at Broadstone in County Division Four.

In blustery conditions at the Charborough Road Recreation Ground, Broadstone elected to bat first.

Barry Seymour and Tim Lanham opened for the home side and dealt well with a pitch that provided some inconsistent bounce in putting on 69 for the first wicket before Seymour (20) served up a catch to Kynan Brian at cover off the bowling of Ben Lucas (2-19).

Martin Rodgers (4) soon followed but Loic Thoem (30) struck up a good partnership with Lanham (74) to push the score on to 154 before the opener was finally bowled by a low Chas Duerdoth delivery.

A mid-order collapse followed as four wickets fell for 10 runs, Chas Duerdoth (3-18) and Pete Bustin (2-30) doing the damage. However, Abbotsbury’s hopes of running through the tail were denied by Fletcher (12no) and Eddington (21no) as the pair fought back with a late partnership of 34 and set Abbotsbury a target of 198.

In reply, Adam Davies set the tone for his innings with a pulled shot for four from the first delivery of the innings and showed his class with a catalogue of glorious shots to the boundary.

At the other end, fellow opener Nick Kneebone was dropped at slip but Davies was first to be dismissed when he offered a return catch to medium pacer Ben Bassinder, having scored 64 off 34 balls. The match then swung in Broadstone’s favour .

Duerdoth departed without scoring and Kneebone (20) gloved Bassinder (4-34) to the keeper, soon followed by the dismissals of Kynan Brian (9) and Elliott Gunn (0).

This left the Swans tottering on 97-5 but Pete Bustin (40) launched a counter attack as Ian Fletcher (0-32) was dispatched for three towering sixes in a single over.

Richard Deakin (31no) also batted superbly in a partnership of 60 before Wigmore (1-57), returning for his second spell, beat the swinging bat of Bustin and clattered his stumps.

Following a brief rain delay, another wicket fell as James Eddington (1-44) sent Mark Beale (4) back to the pavilion but the incoming Frank Pitman joined Deakin at the crease to calm the Abbotsbury jitters with a valuable unbeaten knock of 24 and the winning boundary.

The Swans remain in second place in the table, sitting seven points behind leaders Sturminster & Hinton.